Monthly Archives : December 2012

Have you read the latest 360 research paper from Steelcase about “Defining the Code” of workplace culture? It provides some interesting insights into how organizations will have to change their thinking if they want to do business in a truly global marketplace. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge that people speak different languages. You need to take into account how everything from body language to work styles and interactions between employees differ across cultures. Then, you need to design the built work environment and select your office furniture accordingly.

Steelcase based its research on visits to 100 workplaces in 11 countries and distilled their data using the concept of six dimensions of workplace culture. You’ll need to visit Steelcase to uncover the details about each dimension. But we thought we’d continue the conversation here by considering how cultural differences might affect how employers use cubicle extenders or desk-mounted privacy panels. Here’s the first dimension and our take on it:

Power Distance Index (PDI)

Basically, this refers to top-down organizational authority (autocratic) vs. everyone having a “voice” in how things are done at work (consultative). We actually see the full spectrum PDI here in the US, so it’s not impossible that our readers have worked in both types of organization at some point.

The more autocratic workplaces are likely to be those that still have private offices for top employees. This work culture doesn’t necessarily place a high value on the whole collaborative meme that is sweeping the nation. They support teamwork, but don’t rely on their rank and file employees to innovate. They place a high value on productivity and effectiveness. So, they are quite likely to have cubicles rather than an open office design with no panels. This is a location where the judicious use of panel extenders to increase cubicle wall height could give employees an even greater ability to focus.

The consultative style workplace is much more likely to have managers and other high level employees working out in the open as part of a team. The desk or benching style of office furniture tends to be quite popular here. However, things can get a little chaotic when everyone is having a conversation at once. While brainstorming can be fun, it can be distracting too. Adding privacy panels at the edges of a “cluster” of workers might help them become more cohesive and provide a bit of a break from the fishbowl style office where everyone can see everyone else all the time. Or, individual workers who request more privacy and those who have tasks that require more “heads down” time might like panels mounted on their desks.

When you think of an office desk top, you probably envision a simple rectangle. But the truth is that many work surfaces have curved edges. These eye-pleasing swoops and swirls don’t lend themselves to being hidden behind a freestanding cubicle panel. They need a different kind of privacy panel that preserves the look and feel of the workspace while still giving employees the space to concentrate on work. Fortunately, our OBEX desktop panels are versatile enough to handle whatever curves you through at them.

Check out how our universal mounting system makes it possible to add privacy even along rounded worksurface edges. On a shallow curve, the straight edge of the panel barely registers as there (especially in our clear polycarbonate option). With a deep curve, there’s room to put a potted plant in the little half circle space for a touch of green.

This year, Gensler released findings based on half a decade of data collected from 90,000 employees using its Workplace Performance Index™ tool. A whitepaper based on these survey results came to the following conclusion:

“The WPI’s unexpected revelation is that the most significant factor in workplace effectiveness is not collaboration, it’s individual focus work. And we also found that focus is the workplace environment’s least effectively supported activity.”

The authors of the whitepaper blame the usual suspects for the dip in concentration: open office design, too much noise and lack of visual privacy. These findings may come as a surprise to Gensler, but at OBEX we already knew this. It’s the reason employers buy our cubicle extenders – and the reason we added the desk-mounted privacy panels to our product line this year.

Why You Should Focus on Focus

What we did find noteworthy is the fact that Gensler found the four “modes of work” (focus, collaboration, learning and socialization) are more interdependent than previously supposed. But they aren’t equally important. In fact, focus is the core value upon which all the other work modes depend. According to the whitepaper, “Workplace strategies that sacrifice individual focus in pursuit of collaboration will result in decreased effectiveness for both.”

They also point out that the office space doesn’t have to be extra-specially designed to promote collaboration. If people want to team up, they’ll be flexible and find a way to do it. “The most critical factor in collaboration is who you’re collaborating with, not where. Space plays a role, but a secondary one.” In contrast, the Gensler research shows that space must be carefully and deliberately designed to foster high levels of intense concentration.

Participants surveyed consistently said they spend most of their time (55%) doing focus work and that it was by far the most critical aspect of their job (88%). Obviously, employees want to do their jobs well and employers could see huge performance gains by making that possible. It’s time the workplace was redesigned to support what’s best for business and for people.

Herman Miller’s new white paper “New Technologies, New Behaviors” highlights the ways today’s tech is changing how people accomplish their work in the office. One interesting factor that increases the need for visual privacy is the use of Skype. In the past, only a super-high tech conference room would have videoconferencing technology. Everyone in the room knew when it was on and broadcasting their image and could act accordingly.

In contrast, today the coworker sitting in the desk behind yours could easily be caught on your laptop webcam without their knowledge. That’s not polite or professional. Visual traffic adds to distraction already created by audible background conversations when you’re trying to conference online. So, having some sort of privacy panel on desktops is more important than ever. At least, that’s our takeaway point!

Here at OBEX, we talk a lot about the pros and cons of cubicles vs. open workstations. But these two options do have one thing in common. There are many days when your employees will wish they were elsewhere. The nice thing about cubicle panels is that they make it easier to “get away” and imagine being on a beautiful tropical beach. You can create whatever view you prefer rather than having to stare at coworkers all day. Here are 3 ways to add a window into the world where employees would like to be if they weren’t stuck in a cube.

This manufacturer provides peel and stick decals that you can install directly on the cubicle panel. Employees could select mountains, forests, beaches, hayfields, and more.

Has a worker relocated to your regional office from Manhattan?They can still enjoy the New York skyline with a cubicle window.

These wallpapers supposedly stick to most surfaces – even fabric-covered acoustic panels. But the Dream Cubicle team sends little pins in the package too just in case these giant stickers need to be tacked down. Sizes for these windows go up to 2×3 feet for a fully immersive experience.

If you want a more true-to-life tactile experience, this option’s got you covered with its real wooden window frame. Employees also get versatility built in since each frame comes with four different “views” printed on heavy duty cardstock. They can switch out the view every day if that’s what it takes to stave off ennui. The main drawback is the size. With an opening less than 12×14 in this tiny window, workers may feel like their cubicle is even smaller than before.

You know we have a solution for this too – and it’s actually available for either desk mounted panels or panel extenders. We can custom print panels to transport your employees to anywhere they’d like to go. They can gaze at lovely green grass, a pathway strewn with autumn leaves, or the crystal blue depths of a tropical ocean. Unlike wall stickers or cardstock, these panels can easily last for decades. You can install them on one side or all 3 sides of a workstation if you want to create a complete environment of calm. They are also very easy to remove if you decide to switch them out or move them to a different workstation.

How many times over the last 15 years have you read an article about the imminent “Death of the cubicle”? It’s a meme that keeps cropping up over and over regardless of how often it is proven wrong. There’s another article up on Mashable right now that says almost 1 out of 5 professionals believe that the cubicle will be “extinct” within the next 5 years. We’re not going to be putting any money on that prediction. In fact, the cubicle has made more comebacks than a reanimated corpse in a zombie movie.

No matter how many times someone writes about what the “cubicle-free” offices look like at Google and FaceBook, most white collar workers don’t work at those two companies. In fact, those are the same firms that come up whenever anyone does a slideshow about the coolest offices in the world. Obviously, this distinction doesn’t make them trend setters; it makes them outliers. The fact is that the backlash against the open office with its high noise levels and complete lack of privacy has already begun. Until someone comes up with a completely different alternative, we’re probably looking at most employers finding a balance between open and secluded work areas. For enclosed workstations, a cubicle with high panels (or a desk with surface mounted privacy panels) is the most sensible and cost effective solution.

So, while design details may continue to change, we think the cubicle is here to stay for the next 5 years – and probably the next 50. Perhaps they will outlast us all…

With the holidays coming up, you’re probably thinking about what gift to offer your employees for all their hard work. Gift cards for major retailers are OK (as we’ll discuss below), but they’re pretty generic. Foodstuffs from candy and cookies to a Christmas turkey may seem like crowd pleasers, but employees with dietary restrictions from gluten intolerance and diabetes to vegetarianism would feel left out. A cash bonus is always appreciated. But then you might feel pressured to match or exceed that amount each year – even when economic circumstances change. Key chains, coffee mugs and other tchotchkes don’t express how much you value your workers (unless you think they’re basically worthless).

Gifts for Play

So, what do you give your employees this year? It’s nice to start with a token present that workers can use to have fun outside of work. If you have a small business and know your employees well, you can choose a specific gift certificate to their favorite ‘watering hole’ where everyone gathers for lunch or happy hour. That shows you’ve been paying attention to what they like. If you have a larger business, a gift card that can be used online (Amazon.com, Target, etc.) can come in handy. They can spend it however/whenever they like and the dollar amount doesn’t have to be too high to make it a nice gesture.

Gifts for Work

As an employer, you also want to make coming to work every day more pleasant for your workers in the coming year. So, doing something to improve the workplace over the long term is another thoughtful and appropriate present. If your employees have been struggling with noise and privacy concerns in an open environment or one with low cubicle walls, panel extenders or desk-mounted privacy panels would be a welcome workstation bonus. We’ve even got these products in red and green if you wanted to do a holiday theme. Of course, since you’ll be using these all year round, it’s probably smarter to just pick a color that matches your décor. You can shop our selection of classically muted fabrics or order panels in a custom color, textile or design.